How to write a five-paragraph essay!

An essay builds on many of the skills you have already mastered in learning to write a paragraph.

An essay is simply longer! Like a paragraph, an essay makes and

supports one main point. However, the subject of an essay is too

complex to be developed in a few sentences. To support fully the main point of an essay,

several paragraphs are needed.

A typical essay contains five paragraphs, but many other types of essays are longer or shorter.

All essays will follow a similar pattern of organization.

Read the question or essay topic several times. Use a dictionary if you don’t understand any words in the topic.

Brainstorm Group information into three general ideas Consider your audience Use general ideas to form a thesis

statement

What are the major components of an essay?

An essay has three main parts: ◦ INTRODUCTION◦ BODY◦ CONCLUSION

Introduction – provides some background information on the subject and states the main point in a thesis statement.

Body- several supporting paragraphs that develop the main idea.

Conclusion – restatement of thesis and summary of main points.

Introduction•Catches the reader’s interest with a hook•Sets the tone and gives background information•Presents the thesis statement

Body Paragraphs (at least 3)

•State the main points•Provide support (at least 2 per paragraph) for the thesis statement

Conclusion•Reinforces the main idea•Leaves the reader with a final impression and a sense of completeness

What is the function of the introduction?

The function of the introduction is:

To capture the reader’s interest

To provide background information

To state the thesis.

To preview your main points

There are no rules for writing an introduction, several techniques have been proven successful.

This is often called an Interest Creating Device (I.C.D.), or a hook.

A. Move from general to specific◦ Opens with a general statement on the subject

that establishes its importance and then leads the reader to the more specific thesis statement.

B. Use an anecdote◦ Relates an interesting story that will get the

reader interested in the subject.

C. Use a quotation◦ An easy way to introduce your topic. Use an

interesting quote or a proverb.

D. Ask a question◦ Asking one or more questions at the beginning of

an essay is a good way to engage readers in the topic right away.

◦ They will want to read on in order to find the answer.

E. Present facts and statistics◦ Presenting some interesting facts or statistics on

your subject establishes credibility.

After you have presented some general background information….you will need to NARROW YOUR FOCUS

This is done in a thesis statement which is often the last sentence of the introduction.

A thesis statement controls the information for an entire esssay.

It keeps the writer organized.

Karate, which, literally means “the art of empty hands,” is the most widely practiced of all the martial arts. It is primarily a means of self-defence that used the body as a weapon for striking, kicking, and blocking. Originating in the ancient Orient, the art of karate is more than 1,000 years old. It developed first as a form of monastic training and later became a method of self-defence. During the seventeenth century, karate became highly developed as an art on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Over the years, this ancient art has gained much popularity, and today karate is practiced throughout the world. More than a method of combat, karate emphasizes self-discipline, positive attitude, and high moral purpose.

Karate, which, literally means “the art of empty hands,” is the most widely practiced of all the martial arts. It is primarily a means of self-defence that used the body as a weapon for striking, kicking, and blocking. Originating in the ancient Orient, the art of karate is more than 1,000 years old. It developed first as a form of monastic training and later became a method of self-defence. During the seventeenth century, karate became highly developed as an art on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Over the years, this ancient art has gained much popularity, and today karate is practiced throughout the world. More than a method of combat, karate emphasizes self-discipline, positive attitude, and high moral purpose.

One student looks at his neighbour’s exam paper and quickly copies the answers. Another student finds out the questions on a test before her class and takes it and tells her friends. Still another student sneaks a sheet of paper with formulas written on it into the test room. What about you? Would you be tempted to cheat on an exam if you knew you wouldn’t get caught? According to a recent national survey, 40 percent of American teenagers would cheat under that condition. What is causing this epidemic of cheating in our schools? Most students cheat on tests because they feel press to get into a good college, because they want to avoid the hours of studying they need in order to get high grades, or simply because they are not concerned with honesty.

One student looks at his neighbour’s exam paper and quickly copies the answers. Another student finds out the questions on a test before her class and takes it and tells her friends. Still another student sneaks a sheet of paper with formulas written on it into the test room. What about you? Would you be tempted to cheat on an exam if you knew you wouldn’t get caught? According to a recent national survey, 40 percent of American teenagers would cheat under that condition. What is causing this epidemic of cheating in our schools? Most students cheat on tests because they feel pressure to get into a good college, because they want to avoid the hours of studying they need in order to get high grades, or simply because they are not concerned with honesty.

Homicides cause the deaths of more children in Washington, D.C., than any other single type of injury, including car accidents, house fires, or drowning. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not exclusive to Washington. The overcrowded neighbourhoods of many big American cities, such as New York, Detroit, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles, are all plagued with senseless violent crimes. Types of violent crime range from arson and burglary to assault, rape, and murder. The solution to this growing problem is not to build more and bigger prisons, but rather to examine and deal with the causes: easy access to guns, drug use, and overwhelming poverty.

Homicides cause the deaths of more children in Washington, D.C., than any other single type of injury, including car accidents, house fires, or drowning. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not exclusive to Washington. The overcrowded neighbourhoods of many big American cities, such as New York, Detroit, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles, are all plagued with senseless violent crimes. Types of violent crime range from arson and burglary to assault, rape, and murder. The solution to this growing problem is not to build more and bigger prisons, but rather to examine and deal with the causes: easy access to guns, drug use, and overwhelming poverty.

“Misty, a five-month-old German shepherd puppy, goes to the hospital twice a week, but not to see a veterinarian. At this Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Misty is helping doctors – not the other way around. In what may seem like a role reversal, animals like Misty are visiting the halls of human illness to relieve a type of pain doctors cannot treat. Their therapy is love, both giving it and helping others to return it to them.” Pets ranging from dogs to tropical fish are showing up as therapists in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and other institutions.

“Misty, a five-month-old German shepherd puppy, goes to the hospital twice a week, but not to see a veterinarian. At this Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Misty is helping doctors – not the other way around. In what may seem like a role reversal, animals like Misty are visiting the halls of human illness to relieve a type of pain doctors cannot treat. Their therapy is love, both giving it and helping others to return it to them.” Pets ranging from dogs to tropical fish are showing up as therapists in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and other institutions.

Experience, not theory, has taught me the truth of the popular saying, “Two heads are better than one.” For the past two years, the job of secretary in my office has been shared very successfully by two people. This “job-sharing” arrangement has worked out quite well for all involved. All over the business world, the interest in flexible employment arrangements, like job-sharing is growing. Employers are beginning to realize that there are many talented people out there who are looking for alternatives to traditional patterns of employment. In a job-sharing arrangement, a full-time job is shared by two people. As an executive in a multinational firm, I feel that job-sharing is one way that organizations can meet the growing diversity of employees’ needs. Not only is job-sharing helpful to employees, it also offers several advantages to employers. With two people working together, tasks tend to be completed more quickly, a wider range of skills is brought to the job, and most importantly, production is increased.

Experience, not theory, has taught me the truth of the popular saying, “Two heads are better than one.” For the past two years, the job of secretary in my office has been shared very successfully by two people. This “job-sharing” arrangement has worked out quite well for all involved. All over the business world, the interest in flexible employment arrangements, like job-sharing is growing. Employers are beginning to realize that there are many talented people out there who are looking for alternatives to traditional patterns of employment. In a job-sharing arrangement, a full-time job is shared by two people. As an executive in a multinational firm, I feel that job-sharing is one way that organizations can meet the growing diversity of employees’ needs. Not only is job-sharing helpful to employees, it also offers several advantages to employers. With two people working together, tasks tend to be completed more quickly, a wider range of skills is brought to the job, and most importantly, production is increased.

What is the body of an essay?

Consists of several paragraphs that develop and support the thesis.

Each body paragraph develops one point from the thesis statement.

These paragraphs all begin with a topic sentence that is supported with specific details, facts, summaries, examples, explanations or quotations!

The body paragraphs of an essay should be arranged in the order that was stated in the thesis statement.

Each body must begin with a topic sentence that controls the idea of the paragraph.

The topic sentence must revert back to your thesis statement.

Let’s come up with some potential topic sentences for one or two of the sample introductions.

TOPIC SENTENCE◦ POINT -> EVIDENCE (example/quotation) ->

EXPLANATION/ELABORATION◦ POINT -> EVIDENCE (example/quotation) ->

EXPLANATION/ELABORATION◦ POINT -> EVIDENCE (example/quotation) ->

EXPLANATION/ELABORATION CONCLUDING STATEMENT

Write a mini-conclusion summing up only what you have discussed in that paragraph. You may use a transition.

Sometimes can be difficult. Think of three main points for each topic.

1. The effects of pollution eg. Land, water, air2. The benefits of learning English3. The impact of natural disasters4. The role of media in our lives5. The changing role of women6. The causes of illiteracy

What purpose does the conclusion serve? Why is it important?

The final paragraph of your essay. Purpose: to summarize without using the

same words the main points you have made in your essay.

In the first sentence of your conclusion, you should restate the thesis using different words.

Just like with the introduction, there are several ways to write a conclusion.

A. Summarize your main points◦ Simply restate main points in your essay but using different

words. Re-assert your thesis. Show that you have proved what you said you were going to prove!

B. Ask a question◦ Writers often want to leave their readers realizing there is a

problem that needs to be solved, or an issue that needs to be resolved.

◦ A question is a good way of getting the reader’s attention and having them think of what can be done.

C. Suggest a solution, offer a recommendation, or make a prediction◦ Depending on the topic of your essay, the conclusion might

be a good place for you to suggest a solution to a problem that you have discussed, or to make a recommendation or a prediction.

D. Final thought – “so what?”◦ A final idea of thought that indicates the significance of your

topic or argument – the “so what?” factor.

Signals that introduce a summary or a conclusion:

therefore consequently thus

to summarize in brief to conclude

in summary last of all finally

in conclusion in short

How to write an outline to an essay

Topic Sentence #1 ◦ (School uniforms should be banned because they

are costly.) A: Supporting details (P. E. E.) B: Supporting details (P. E. E.) C: Supporting details (P. E. E.)

Topic sentence #2◦ (Furthermore, students should not have to wear

school uniforms because they are ugly.) A: Supporting details (P. E. E.) B: Supporting details (P. E. E.) C: Supporting details (P. E. E.)

Topic Sentence #3◦ (Lastly, school uniforms should be forbidden as

they are often extremely uncomfortable.) A: Supporting details (P. E. E.) B: Supporting details (P. E. E.) C: Supporting details (P. E. E.)

A: Restate thesis in a new way.

For practice, let’s rewrite the school uniform thesis statement.

e.g.

Sum up findings/opinions Any concluding statements

Re-read your essay EDIT, edit, edit

Keep your verb tense consistent. Use specific details Do not over-generalize (always, never, etc.). When using the word “This” always consider

to what it is specifically referring. Example: This represents that…

vs. This metaphor represents

that…

Indent your paragraphs Do not put any additional spaces between

paragraphs AVOID using contractions such as: don’t, didn’t,

shouldn’t. Instead use: do not, should not, did not. Do not use slang or colloquialisms: these are

expressions used in everyday informal talk Do not say in your introduction, “In this essay, I

am going to tell you about…” Let your essay speak for itself.

Avoid the use of “you” and use “one” instead. Do not use 2nd person pronouns, unless you are directly quoting from a source.

Watch for run-on sentences Watch for fragments Remember a complete sentence has 3

components : a subject, a predicate, and it expresses a complete thought or idea.